


The Unwanted Brand

by SebastianKeyes



Series: The Unwanted Brand [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 15:17:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17185436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SebastianKeyes/pseuds/SebastianKeyes





	1. The Lackluster Soldier

Dubhlainn hurriedly tied his baldric around his waist and sheathed his sword, before rushing out the doorway to his meager barracks room. No larger than a prison cell, it had a cot, a small table, a single square window (more like a whole in the wall), and a curtain in place of a door. But that was to be expected for a Private's quarters in this little border town between Daein and Begnion, not to mention the fact that he was quite possibly one of the worst soldiers in their squad, not to mention the whole brigade...

"Crap! I'm late again," he muttered to himself while running. He quickly slipped a glove on his right hand, covering the brand he'd had since childhood. "Maybe I can convince the sergeant to be lenient this time if I pull extra guard duty..." Dubhlainn bolted into the drill square just in time to collide with someone running the other way.

"Oof!" exclaimed a small feminine voice as they both hit the ground. 

Dubhlainn sat for a few seconds before the realization struck that he was going to be even more late thanks to this. He quickly stood once again began sprinting in the direction the girl was running from while shouting back, "Sorry miss! I'll make it up to you, I swear!"

But as he began to turn the next corner, he was greeted by the most pristine polished suit of armor in existence. When the sunlight hit at the right angle it could blind an entire army.

"PRIVATE!" shouted the burly-voiced sergeant, "A sub-human thief was running this way. Have you seen her?" There was a demonic rage in the sergeant's eyes, it was commonly known that he hated the Laguz, and actively sought out opportunities to cause them pain. He hated Branded even more, seeing the "half-breeds" as an abomination created by the dark goddess Yune.

"N-no sir!" he said, throwing up a haphazard salute, "I haven't seen anyone like that today!" Dubhlainn's thoughts turned to the girl he had bumped into.

Hope she isn't the one they're looking for.

The sergeant glared at him, as if he knew he was lying, before quickly administering more orders to the men with him. "You two!" he shouted, "Search the marketplace. Dubhlainn and Nolis will follow me into the barracks to search." Without waiting another moment, the sergeant began trotting toward the barracks, his heavy armor clanking with each step, his lance bouncing on his shoulder.

Dubhlainn fell in step beside the squad's corporal and only mage Nolis, the magically inclined Beorc's robes fluttering in the wind as they ran. 

"The sergeant's going to have your hide for being late again," said the mage turning to his friend. "I can't cover for you this time, friend. You'd better have a legitimate excuse."

Before Dubhlainn could respond however, the sergeant's voice was heard again. "Corporal! I want you to search around the Mess Hall. Worthless Private, you'll be searching the troop quarters while I search around the Officer's Barracks." His clanky armor was heard again as he trotted off into the distance.

The two young men nodded to each other before heading to their assigned areas, their tasks more important than their conversation.

Dubhlainn entered the barracks and headed straight for his room, not bothering to investigate any of the other rooms along the hall. He passed through the curtain to his room and immediately sensed something was wrong. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to dodge the large cat that pounced on him, it's dark purple face just inches from his, teal eyes staring into his golden ones.

"Um, hi," he managed to utter before the cat retreated to the corner of the room. Her form changed into that of a young girl with purple hair right before his eyes, but what caught his attention the most were her feline ears and tail. As she finished her transformation, she turned to Dubhlainn and spoke, a harsh tone in her voice.

"My name's Mahko, and you owe me a favor Branded."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading my first fanfic in a very long time. I apologize for its shortness and I hope you'll all forgive me for being a little rusty in the formation of a story from words.

Onto our first character then!

Dubhlainn is a Branded Crimean serving in the garrison of one of the border towns with Begnion. If you're reading all of this and wondering what the hell I"m talking about, make sure to follow the link I've posted in the description, it should be able to provide answers to most of the questions you might have about our story's setting. Anyway, my favorite class in the Fire Emblem series has always been the Hero, and since they're the promoted form of a Mercenary in the more recent titles I decided to make Dubhlainn into a merc. As for his appearance, he has silvery-white hair, golden eyes, and a mark on his right hand showing he is Branded and not of the other two races.

If you guys have any questions or comments on what I can do better, please feel free to drop them off here, and I hope you all enjoyed reading The Unwanted Brand so far. More updates to come!

~S. K.


	2. A Pact Made, A Bond Broken

"Well? I said, 'you owe me a favour Branded,' are you just gonna sit on your ass looking like an idiot all day?" the Laguz girl fumed. Dubhlainn just sat there, dumbstruck. His brain presently unable to process the fact that the Laguz he was tasked to hunt down, the very reason he hadn't gotten discharged yet this morning, was standing in the corner of his room.

She's actually kind of cute.

The thought came unbidden, of course. He was supposed to be hunting her down, after all, any self-respecting soldier would've had his blade against her throat by now. He also wouldn't have gotten surprised...

"Are you stupid or something?" she asked, "get off your ass already, Branded."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" he asked, slowly standing up, "I'm a Beorc, just like everyone else in this town." Instinctively, he flexed the fingers of his right hand, feeling the itch of the tattoo like mark at it's very mention.

"Ugh! we don't have time for this!" she announced, her tone exasperated. She took quick steps toward him, forcing him to back into the opposite corner, and looked up into his eyes. Just as he began to wonder if they would kiss, she pulled the glove and bandage off of his hand, exposing his brand. "This is why I call you 'Branded,'" she said, pulling his glove-less hand up toward their faces. "We Laguz can sense you abominations, and as much as I despise it, I'm more likely to get help from you than any of those Beorc out there," she told him, pointing out his tiny window.

Resigned to the fact his well-guarded secret was apparently obvious to any Laguz, Dubhlainn sighed, this was just the kind of luck that stupid mark was bound to bring him. "What do you need?" he finally asked, his face still only inches from the girl's.

She blinked several times, "You're not trying to trick me are you?" Mahko studied his eyes for a few seconds, before both realised just how close their faces were. Almost simultaneously, Dubhlainn turned his head to politely cough in his hand while Mahko spun on her heel. "No, you're too stupid and honest for that aren't you?" she mused aloud, "Fine, I'll take you up on your offer to help me." 

Dubhlainn had a confused look on his face after her declaration, but said nothing. "So, what, you need to escape the city?" he asked, a tone of indignation in his voice. "Because, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly high on the totem pole around here, it's not like I'll be able to sneak you out unnoticed."

Mahko spun around again, "obviously I know that, which is why no one will miss you when we leave tonight. You can blend in better than I can, so you're going to be my bodyguard from now on, or I'll expose what you really are," she said with a maleficent grin. She stuck out her hand, "so, do we have a deal then?"

Angrily, Dubhlainn took her hand and pulled her close to whisper, "And what's stopping me from killing you right now?"

"Step away from him half-beast!" they heard from the doorway as a small fireball landed near their feet. Nolis' had one hand out-stretched, his open tome in the other, radiating magical energy for another attack. "I'll not warn you again, step away from my friend or the next one won't miss." A grim look of determination on the mage's face showed he was not bluffing.

Mahko crouched down into a predatory stance, looking ready to pounce, but as she did so Dubhlainn stepped in front of her. "Nolis, wait, she just wants to leave the city without causing any more trouble," he said as he held his hands up to placate his friend. He then half-turned to speak to Mahko, his hands dropping to rest at his side. The brand on his right hand immediately drew Nolis' eyes, and his anger.

"Y-you're one of THEM?" the mage asked, venom in his tone, "my best friend...a disgusting half-breed." his arm, which had previously fallen, was outstretched again. "The church says that I have to kill you Dubhlainn," his tome began glowing, the beginnings of his spell, "I'm sorry old friend, please don't take it personally." The fireball formed in his hand, then vanished. Nolis looked down at the sword nearly hilt deep in his stomach, then coughed, spraying blood on his tome and in Dubhlainn's hair.

Dubhlainn had instantly reacted as he heard his friend's words, unsheathing his sword and covering the distance between himself and Nolis before the mage could cast his spell. He could not look at his friend as he heard the tome hit the ground, the tears in his eyes clouded his vision too much. "I'm sorry Nolis, for what I am, for everything that's happened, but mostly for not telling you the truth. Goodbye." He jogged out the doorway then, not looking to see if Mahko was following. 

Stopping to catch his breath and wipe away the tears, Dubhlainn heard quiet footsteps quickly approach from the direction he had retreated from. "Come on," he managed between quiet sobs, "we've got a long road ahead of us."

Mahko nodded her response before pulling the hood of her cloak up and concealing her purple tail underneath...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To all my readers,

I am so so so sorry it's been this long for me to post the next chapter. Work and life got in the way nearly every time I would sit down to write and I ended up getting really distracted for a while. But I'm back with our second installment here, sorry if it's a little difficult to follow.

-S.K.

Now for our character intro! This chapter's addition is our lovely friend Nolis the mage. I really like the dynamic b/t Ike and Soren, so I kind of decided I wanted Dubhlainn to have a magic best friend as well.

Nolis grew up an orphan, raised by the church, which I definitely should've included in the previous chapter or this one (expect an update eventually). In the Tellius games the great heroes of old came up with the rumour that all Branded were abominations born from the sinful union between Beorc and Laguz, and I wanted to use that as the driving force between Dubhlainn and Nolis' confrontation. And if you're worried about whether or not magic boi survived, well, there may be hope for him just yet. ;)

I offer my thanks, as always, to everyone that takes the time to read what I've written. And I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed the writing.


	3. Hurried Flight

Dubhlainn managed to wipe away what tears had fallen since they'd left the barracks. "We'll have to steal some horses if we wanna outrun the rest of the garrison," he whispered to Mahko as they hid behind some crates. They were hiding in one of the smaller alleys that branched off from the square and had spotted a few horses being stabled across the square.

"You're most likely faster than I am," he commented, "do you think you can get the grooms to chase you without getting caught?"

"Of course I can, idiot. I'll just shift into my cat form and-"

"No!" Dubhlainn quietly hissed, grabbing her by the arm. "That'll just attract the guards even faster," he stated bluntly. Then, pointing at the groom currently brushing down a horse he continued, " You just need to distract the grooms long enough for me to get the two horses they just brought in. Got it?" he asked, no room for argument in his gaze.

"Fine," the Laguz girl huffed, "now let go of me."

Dubhlainn released his grip on her arm. "You said you can sense me, right? Does that include the general direction I'm in?" he asked, a plan forming in his mind.

"More like I can sense when you're in the general area, I can't tell which direction you're in until I can actually see you nearby," she responded.

"That makes things more difficult," he replied, trying to work out a route she could follow to meet up with him. Being as familiar with the city as he was, Dubhlainn was able to devise a route that would lead her out the main gates to the forested area beyond. An area they could easily reconvene and escape the city guard in. After a few moments thought he began instructing her on the path she would take. "If any guards try to stop you, try to get away without turning into a cat. Anyone that hasn't been to the barracks or spoken with the sergeant will just think you're another nuisance and won't bother following you for that long. Any questions before we go?"

Mahko shook her head, she may not have liked needing to rely on one of the "Parentless," but for all the wrong caused by his birth this one seemed mostly competent. "You...be safe," she said, more for the sake of filling the awkward silence than actual sentiment, but she still needed his help getting back to Gallia. 

"You too," he replied, nodding his head as she darted across the square. Dubhlainn watched from behind the crates as the Laguz-...no...as Mahko reached the stable, picked up a shovel, and swung it at the nearest groom. Narrowly missing his head, hopefully on purpose, she barked a challenge at the man Dubhlainn couldn't quite hear. The groom seemed stupefied for a moment before responding, calling his peers to his aid. Mahko, acting as if she'd just realised she'd made a terrible mistake, dropped the impromptu weapon, spun on her heel and began running down the nearest pathway, exactly as Dubhlainn had instructed. The grooms had no sooner given chase, before he sprinted across the square, reaching the stables as the pursuers turned the corner barrelling after Mahko.

Dubhlainn realised, potentially too late, that Mahko might not know how to ride a horse. While he quickly saddled the two nearest horses he thought aloud, "She can turn into a giant cat, so I doubt she ever needed to learn how to ride..." As he finished saddling the second horse he asked, "What do you think?" To which the horse responded with silence, because horses don't speak human languages.

He climbed onto his horse, maintaining a hold on the other horse's reins, before settling onto the wide saddle. Wrapping the extra reins around the pommel of his saddle he kicked gently into the horses flanks to get it moving, being well trained as it was the horse obeyed his gesture and began walking out of the stable. The second horse followed suit and Dubhlainn soon had them both walking toward the town gate, as he looked around for any guards that might offer trouble.

The guards recognised Dubhlainn first, as one called out, "Hey, Dubh, where you headed to with those horses?" Hoping these two hadn't caught word yet of what was happening he replied, "Sarge is making me pick up some new Corporal from the next village over, said something about him wanting the guy to see what the bottom of the barrel looked like before he meets the rest of us," he rubbed the back of his head as if embarrassed and hoped the gesture would sell the lie. The guard, whom Dubhlainn realised was one of the more friendly men, stepped forward as if to inspect his face. Instead he said, "That definitely sounds like something he'd say, well, maybe this new guy won't be such a hard-ass and he'll cut you some slack? Have a safe-"

As the guard was finishing his farewell a commotion could be heard around the corner of a nearby alley. Mere seconds after the initial noise a small figure with purple hair was sprinting hard toward Dubhlainn and the guard, followed closely by two soldiers and a mage throwing fireballs at her. The guard next to Dubhlainn's horse managed to utter, "What the-" before the lance was wrenched from his hands and the butt driven into his temple. Having knocked the friendly guard unconscious, Dubhlainn spun the lance around and attempted a poorly executed throw at the other gate guard. The impromptu spear landed several feet away from the guard, but the man was too distracted by Mahko and her pursuers, to realise this and remained hidden behind some crates nearby.

"Hurry up!" Dubhlainn shouted to Mahko as she reached the horses.

Vaulting nearly gracefully onto the animal's back she huffed, "Fire...Mage...Screw you..."

Both riders dug their heels into their horse's flanks hard, spurring them into a gallop as the two fugitives fled the town they hoped to never see again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow, so...it's been a while now huh? To anyone still following this story, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Budgeting life and hobbies is a big WIP right now, and this project definitely got put on the back burner for a good bit. Hopefully this chapter does not disappoint too much, and thank you all once again for being so patient with me.

It's getting pretty late as I type this, so I won't be doing a character intro this chapter, instead I'll do two next time. Oh, and hopefully you're as excited as I am to meet our newest friend, who'll be introduced in the next chapter: The Untamed Wilderness?

~S.K.

P.S. Because I don't remember, and don't feel like double checking, Dubhlainn's name is pronounced "duv-lin" so the friendly NPC in this chapter calls him Dubh (dove, like the bird).


	4. Lost in the Woods

Three hours after fleeing the village, Dubhlainn decided they were no longer being followed. "Okay," he huffed, "I think we can stop here for a break." He pointed to a barely noticeable game trail through the trees, "There should be a stream down that trail if I remember correctly," he stated as he began leading his horse down the trail.

Dubhlainn felt they were safe enough to engage in some idle chatter and spoke, "So, uh, I'm surprised you know how to ride a horse."

He was met with heavy silence.

"Mahko?" he asked, turning his head back to make sure she was still saddled. What he saw was a small body slumped against the neck of a horse, her breathing shallow and sparse. His eyes widened as he imagined the worst possible, and he reined his horse in. As soon as their horses were beside each other Dubhlainn reached out and gently touched her shoulder, a splash of worry in his voice, "Hey, are you okay?"

Just as he was about to try shaking her harder she finally spoke, sounding winded, "I'm fine, idiot! You try running at full tilt and then riding a horse as hard as you can. See if you're not exhausted afterward." The look she gave him could've melted steel. Briefly, she saw an immense pain well up behind his eyes, before he spurred his horse to a slightly faster walk, increasing the distance between them again.

This must've been harder on him than I thought...

The thought came unbidden, which concerned her. Why should she care about this Parentless scum? All Beorc were murderers, just because he was half-Laguz shouldn't make him any different...Right? She shook her head, blaming the tumultuous slew of thoughts on her exhaustion, and urged her horse forward along the trail. 

After a few minutes had passed Dubhlainn suddenly called a halt to their progress, his right hand raised, the mark of his heritage plain for anyone to see.

"What now?" Mahko sighed, obviously perturbed to have their progress impeded any further.

Dubhlainn said nothing, but put a finger to his lips instead, and dismounted his horse. He led the beast back to Mahko and handed her the reins before whispering up to her, "There's a shack up ahead, it's usually abandoned, but we better be careful." Before continuing he surveyed the area, as if he sensed they were being watched, "Just follow this trail till you get there, I'll stick around here for a little bit like I'm busy doing something, then I'll be right behind you." He removed the waterskin from her saddle carefully, then announced, "Alright, just keep going to the shack up ahead, I'm gonna take a leak and I'll meet you there."

The boy hiding in the bushes had chanced upon the suspicious duo while he was out hunting. He'd been traveling for days, lost in the dense thicket, before he found the shack. Unfortunately, the building had long since been abandoned, any semblance of food lost to time or pests. When he noticed the woman's tail flick around his hands trembled with fear. Barely able to keep his arrow knocked, he followed them up the trail. They must have food, he thought, overwhelmed with the prospect of a real meal for the first time in days. He saw the man dismount and converse with the woman in hushed tones, unable to move closer without revealing himself. When the man looked around he crouched even lower, willing himself to melt into the ground. That's when he heard the man give instructions to the woman. Seeing his opportunity he excitedly thought, Now's my chance, I can capture her and get him to surrender, they're obviously lovers or something. Moving as silently as he could, he began making a circuit to the shack, planning to take the woman by surprise.

Mahko stared at Dubhlainn, a genuine look of disgust on her face, before she turned and urged the horses forward mumbling, "Whatever, idiot," under her breath. After a short walk, she did in fact come to a small clearing with a tiny shack nestled beneath the trees at it's edge. "Hello?" she spoke loudly, "is anybody here?" Hearing no response, she led the horses to a nearby tree, tying their bridles to the thickest, lowest branch. Her tail swished back and forth, she was happy to be on her own two feet again as she made her way to the front of the shack.

"H-hold it right there!" shouted a shaky voice from behind her.

She stopped walking, then turning around, she raised her hands in a gesture of peace. To her surprise, she found herself facing a young boy only slightly taller than her, the bow he'd drawn was shaking as he aimed at her chest. His eyes had a hollow, sunken look, like he hadn't eaten or slept properly in days. "Easy now," she said, "I'm not here to hurt you, just looking for a place to rest."

"I-I-I don't care what you're doing!" the boy shouted, "You and your boyfriend are gonna hand over your food, then turn around and leave!"

Mahko's hands and jaw dropped in astonishment, "My what?!" she cried out, crouching down as if to pounce on the boy, killer intent in her eyes.

Just then, the boy felt a hand clap down on his back, and something sharp poke him under his right arm. A voice from behind him non-nonchalantly said, "Mahko, you never told me we were together," ignoring the hateful remarks she threw it's way. "Now," it spoke to the boy, you're going to put the bow down, and we're all gonna have a nice chat around the fire, okay?" The sharp poking sensation increased.

"O-okay," the boy squeaked, trembling furiously now. He lowered his bow as the sharp sensation subsided, and as he turned toward the man behind him he saw a stick in his hand. The crimson hue of his face could've put a tomato to shame with its intensity.

Dubhlainn looked down at the boy, somewhat surprised at how young he looked, "What's your name, kid?" he asked.

"I-I'm Tomothy, and I'm n-n-not a kid!" responded the boy, a small hint of anger in his voice. "I'm eighteen and this is my shack!" he shouted.

"Uh-huh," remarked Dubhlainn. Then he introduced himself, "Well, Tomothy, I'm Dubhlainn." Wrapping an arm around Tomothy's shoulder, as if they were old friends he continued the introductions, pointing with his stick, "and that's Mahko, and before you get anymore ideas," he tapped Tomothy's head with the stick, "she hates me, 'cause of this." He turned his stick-wielding hand over, revealing his mark. In response, the boy gasped.

"You're Branded?" he asked, "B-but, that means..."

"Yes," Dubhlainn sighed, "somewhere down my bloodline there's both Beorc and Laguz blood, so according to the Church I'm an abomination." He patted Tomothy's shoulder and led the boy toward a circle in the middle of the clearing, obviously meant for a fire, motioning Mahko to join them. "Now then, why don't we get a fire started, and see what we can find for dinner?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello again readers! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, although, it's kind of a mess. This installment brought us a new character, so important he actually has a name! Tomothy is an eighteen year old archer who was originally a concept created by my fantastic friend ShamrockTales (may your ships continue to sail for a thousand millennia). He likes long walks on the beach, hunting, and rabbit stew (yum!). We'll get to hear his story next chapter so stay tuned!

Thanks again for reading!

~S.K.

P.S. If you notice any formatting issues, please leave a comment, I got a burst of inspiration when I finished this up and might've missed something.


	5. A Boy's Lament

The three unlikely companions sat around the fire that evening, voraciously consuming a simple rabbit stew Dubhlainn and Tomothy were able to scrounge up. While they ate, Mahko noticed Tomothy casting terrified glances at her and Dubhlainn.

"He was probably raised on the stories of the church," she heard Dubhlainn mutter, "You're a bloodthirsty beast, and I'm some sort of abomination that'll eat him while he sleeps." She scoffed at his ridiculous notions, thinking no one could possibly believe those stories, till she looked at the younger lad.

His hands were shaking every time he brought the spoon to his lips, spilling the majority of his stew on his shirt. Small tears fell from his cheeks, making his stew more salty than usual. The poor boy was clearly terrified of the two, and given their first direct encounter it was no wonder. He'd briefly considered running away, but given how easily Dubhlainn had surprised him, and the stories he'd heard as a child, he didn't think he stood a chance of surviving.

Dubhlainn sighed as he finished his meal, watching the terrified boy tremble almost audibly. He put his bowl on the ground and leaned forward, looking directly into Tomothy's downcast eyes. "Look, the stories you've heard aren't true. If she were bloodthirsty, I'd have died like six times now. And besides this," he gestured to his brand, now exposed, "and my eyes I'm no different from you. So there's no reason to be afraid of us, we'll be out of your hair after tonight. Right Mahko?"

It took Mahko a few seconds to realise she was being spoken to. "R-right, yeah," she finally managed, having been slightly impressed that Dubhlainn had defended her. Trying to take the initiative she looked at Tom and implored, "Why are you out here on your own? It looks like you haven't eaten in days."

Tomothy set down his bowl and took several deep breaths to calm himself. Once he regained a small modicum of composure he began to speak haltingly, "My, my family is dead. And it's all my fault." He sighed heavily, feeling the weight of his story pull him down. 

"My brother Darrell and I were out hunting near the border one day..."

Darrell turned toward Tomothy as they hid in the undergrowth, the deer they'd been tracking only a few meters away. "Now Tom, make sure you aim right behind the shoulder this time. Wouldn't want you to miss a clean kill again," he whispered, barely audible over the sounds of the forest. Tomothy just stuck his tongue out in response, as both he and Darrell knocked an arrow. As they stood the boys suddenly heard something tearing through the forest. Unfortunately, the deer had heard the noise as well and bounded away.

The two boys stood there, drawstrings slack and arrows long forgotten as they listened to the cacophony of noise heading in there general direction. Just then, two flashes of colour sped by, one a smaller bright yellow, the other a large black mass. Darrell motioned for Tomothy to get back down the instant they had passed, whispering excitedly, "What are sub-humans doing here?" Tomothy meanwhile was catatonic from what he'd seen, only knowing the stories his family had told him of the bloodthirsty sub-humans.

As the boys hid in the brush, they failed to noticed the cloaked individual tracking the beasts. Unfortunately for them, the tracker was not so oblivious, and he doubled back to his masters to inform them of the complication. Because they were so oblivious to the individual's presence, both boys stood as if this were a normal failed hunting trip and began following the long trail home, a few hours of travel ahead of them.

They took a respite in a small glade off their hunting trail, luckily the two had laid traps along the way that morning and managed to snare a few rabbits they collected on the way back. While they worked to skin their quarry, they heard another raucous noise headed toward them, this one louder than the last. Suddenly five men on horse broke through the treeline, coming to a halt abruptly at the opposite end of the clearing.

"Greetings boys," called the man in the lead, he was dressed in shining armour, but his most distinguishing feature was his mustache, styled impeccably in the fashion noblemen favoured. "I hear from my friend here you've encountered some beasts out here, is that right?" he asked through a devious smile.

Darrell, being older and wiser than his brother answered first, "No sir, we haven't seen anything out except a deer my little brother managed to spook." He gestured to Tomothy as if frustrated by the younger boy. "That and these rabbits are all we've seen all day, isn't that right?" he asked his brother.

"Y-y-yeah," Tomothy answered, frightened by the appearance of the five riders. Both boys were so nervous in fact, they hadn't noticed the other three people behind the riders, still at the end of the clearing. Nor did they notice the two leashed beasts with them.

The mustached nobleman grinned wickedly at Darrell's obvious lie and leaned forward in his saddle. "You know boys, it's not right to lie. I know you've seen those beasts, and as I'm sure you've realised, I can't let you live because of that. Send her after the big one first," he called back, "we'll give the little one a chance to run for some sport."

Darrell managed to shout, "Run!" to Tomothy before a bright yellow flash was leaping atop him, it's claws digging into his chest, teeth clamping on the arm he threw up in a vain attempt to defend himself. Tom watched in absolute terror as Darrell's blood began pooling beneath him. He stood rigidly, too shocked to move, as his brother's blood-curdling screams suddenly stopped. Blood spraying from the hole his throat had previously occupied. The large cat turned her attention on Tomothy then, a feral look in her eyes as she began stalking toward him.

A fireball suddenly exploded in front of the feral Laguz, cast by one of the nobleman's associates, stopping her from advancing on the smaller boy. Tomothy looked from the massive cat to the nobleman and barely heard him say, "Run boy, run," before he stumbled around, sprinting into the trees, tears streaming down his cheeks. He barely registered the warm feeling in his trousers as he ran, focused only on escaping what he'd just seen.

Unbeknownst to Tomothy, the nobleman was giving orders to his men back in the glade. "Rein her in," he motioned to the feral Laguz, "those boys were most likely from the nearby hunting village. Go there and burn it down, and set the two of them loose while you're at it. We'll make it look like those filthy beasts were behind the attack." The wicked smile that spread across his face could only be considered malicious in the most basic sense, it was his duty to rid the world of filthy commoners and sub-humans alike. No matter how much entertainment they provided him.

Tomothy had been running through the forest for hours, by the time he smelled smoke the moon had already risen and now hovered in the middle of the sky. His trousers and tears had dried, but Darrell's screams still rang in his ears as he stumbled through the trees. Only after the first hour had he realised he should warn his family, by then he'd gotten lost and had to rely on the meager hunting skills he'd managed to cultivate. Only when he noticed the bright orange glow through the trees did he realise he was too late.

The small boy had started running again when he saw the light of the fires, stumbling through the treeline and into the small village he called home. Every house was alight with flame, the bodies of villagers laid about as if a child had thrown their toys on the ground. Tomothy heard a deep roar in the distance, and threw himself down, thinking that playing dead was his best chance of living. After countless minutes passed, he began to move again, first crawling, then standing to run to his family's house.

He found his family in their woodshed, his father and mother mutilated almost beyond recognition. The only thing that remained of his little sister were a few strips of bloodied cloth, and some hair wrapped in a bow. Tomothy broke down and wept loudly, no longer caring for his own safety, but as he wept he could feel the heat of the flames coming closer. 

Prying the the bow from his father's lifeless hand and grabbing the nearby quiver he took one last look at his family, and vowed to never let their fate be his own, before fleeing into the forest again, his path only illuminated by moonlight.

As Tomothy concluded his story he added, "That was about a year ago now, I've been on my own since then. Hunting when I can and using abandoned shacks as a place to stay."

Dubhlainn and Mahko sat there, digesting the tale they'd just heard for a few seconds before Dubhlainn made to speak. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a new voice, one that made Tomothy begin to shake uncontrollably again.

"My, my, wasn't that a woeful tale?" asked the newcomer from atop his horse, his armour gleamed dully in the evening sunlight, the mustache adorning his face impeccably groomed...

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Phew, that was a hard chapter to write. I didn't want to get too graphic with the violence, but at the same time I didn't want Tomothy to have a blasé backstory. I hope you all enjoyed a look into the origins of our scared little hunter, and I'd like to thank my friends Sham and Coral in this afterword for their help creating this little bit of trauma for the poor boy. I'd like to poll everyone reading this now, would y'all like to see a little more gore when the time arises or is the current level appropriate? Please leave a comment with your preference. Unfortunately, I don't have a character bio this week, cause our mustachioed malefactor was actually born in process. Is he Crimean or Daein? A Baron or a Duke? Is he truly evil, or just some pawn in a much broader scheme? Find out next chapter, which incidentally is named: The Mustachioed Malefactor.

~S.K.


	6. The Mustachioed Malefactor

The man sat atop his horse, twirling one end of his mustache, sneering derisively at the companions in turn, before setting his gaze on Tomothy. "Woeful indeed," he wryly observed, kicking his horse forward slowly. "Now, why don't you tell them about how you exacted your revenge, hmm?" his volume began rising, "About how you came to my estate, freed my pets, killed dozens of men, and took my eye in the process!" His breathing ragged after his tirade, he motioned lazily with his hand, signally for his six thugs to emerge from the forest.

Two of the cadre sat atop horses, swords gleaming in the firelight as they drew up beside the man. Three large men carrying axes emerged, taking up positions near Mahko and the cabin, malicious intent obvious in their stares. Lastly, a lone archer stepped forward from the shadows, an arrow already knocked, his aim trained on Dubhlainn.

Dubhlainn spoke next, his tone a serene opposite of the horseman's, "And why exactly should we care what he did to you?" His hand moved reflexively to his baldric, before he realised he still didn't have a sword. "Shit," he cursed under his breath.

The man scoffed in disgust, "Why I never! I am the esteemed Baron Esrin Cheswicke of Begnion! Friend of Oliver, Duke Tanas! And an attack on me is an attack on him!" Baron Esrin spat vehemently as he continued, "So I demand you teach this little berk a lesson and I'll consider not skinning your beast over there." He waved his hand again, and the archer dropped his aim, keeping his arrow knocked but not drawn. From the same motion one of the axe-wielding thugs pulled an ordinary iron sword from his back as if to hand it to Dubhlainn.

Mahko hissed angrily at the Baron, "As if. How about I-"

"Mahko, that's enough." Dubhlainn interjected, "let's hear him out first." He swept his gaze over Mahko and Tomothy, winking quickly at them. 

Mahko huffed indignantly, "Fine," before crossing her arms in actual annoyance before turning to stare off into the trees.

Assuming the matter had been settled, Dubhlainn directed his attention to the Baron once again. "Now sir, I-"

"You will address me as Baron, insolent welp! Lest you forget your place." The Baron spat.

Dubhlainn's right eye twitched slightly at the interruption, "Baron. Right. Now, Baron, I'm currently-"

"Address me by my full title you incompetent wretch! I am Baron Cheswicke!" His interruptions were now visibly fanning the flames of Dubhlainn and Mahko's contempt.

Dubhlainn sighed heavily before attempting to continue, "Baron Cheswicke, I'll need-"

"Refer to me as the Illustrious Baron Cheswicke of Begnion, boy, or else I'll-"

Dubhlainn was the one to interrupt this time, contempt visible in the angry veins protruding from his neck and forehead, "Shut the hell up you ridiculously vacuous windbag! Mahko, do the thing!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth Mahko was in her feline form leaping atop the nearest thug who, as luck would have it, happened to be the man with the sword in his hand. Man and cat hit the ground together, causing a low, "Oomph" to escape the man's lips before it was replaced with a loud gurgling sound.

Tomothy watched in horror as the large cat ripped his brother's throat out again. Its yellow eyes bore into his very being as it licked the crimson liquid from it's lips. He heard Darrell calling his name again, something about a fight? But he could only stand there, watching his brother's death for the second time. Something bumped into him, sending him falling backward then. Was it the other beast? He looked up to find a man he barely recognised hanging over him, an arrow jutting out of his arm, and...he was screaming something. It was too quiet for Tomothy to hear though, so he just stared blankly at the man. Where had he seen him before?

Dubhlainn regretted using his body to shield Tomothy when the arrow pierced his skin, but he reacted on instinct. The moment Mahko threw him the dead man's sword was all the time the Baron's archer needed to loose an arrow directly at the boy, who stood rigidly in place, a ghastly pallor as his gaze never strayed from where Mahko now stood swiping at the remaining thugs. In one swift motion Dubhlainn grasped the airborne sword and threw his body at Tomothy, the arrow burying itself in his arm as they tumbled over one of the logs by the fire.

"C'mon kid, wake the hell up, we're fighting here!" he screamed, shaking the boy in the hopes he'd wake from his stupor. Instead he was met with a blank gaze, "dammit," he growled turning to stand. Just as he turned, one of the Baron's cavaliers swung his sword in a downward chop, one that narrowly missed Dubhlainn's face as he slipped out of the way. Drawing the sword effortlessly he parried the next blow before switching to a quick riposte, he managed to wound the horseman, albeit with minor damage done.

The cavalier wheeled his horse around, his eyes meeting Dubhlainn's underneath his visor, an unspoken challenge between them. Dubh surged forward, blade poised to strike a heavy blow. His first swing scored a resounding crack as the blade hammered down, crumpling armour and bone as easily as if they were tissue paper. A weak swing from the cavalier was sidestepped easily enough before Dubhlainn struck the final blow, the blade finding its way between the plates of armor. Dubhlainn drew the sword back, its blade shining a deep crimson in the firelight like a thousand rubies. Spinning around to face the other horseman, Dubhlainn was surprised to see him unhorsed by Mahko before sprinting away into the brush.

Tomothy looked around after finally sitting up. He saw Dubhlainn to his left, battling the last axe-wielding thug, the two of them trading blows at even strength. Mahko was facing off against the Baron to his right, swipes from her paws kept his horse at bay, keeping her out of his lance's range. From his vantage point Tomothy noticed the archer at the edge of the forest nocking an arrow and aiming his bow. 

Without thinking, Tomothy rolled forward grabbing his bow, nocking an arrow, and firing in the span of mere seconds...His arrow whizzed by the archer's ear, firmly planting itself in the tree behind him. Tomothy nocked another arrow, ducking the missile fired in retaliation before returning the volley. The second arrow finds it's mark, lodging firmly in the shoulder of the enemy archer, disabling his drawing arm.

Dubhlainn paused briefly after dispatching his thug to shout, "Shit, nice shot kid!" before rushing to Mahko's aid. "Give up Baron, your men are dead, or close enough. We'll let you live."

The Baron looked around at his shattered forces, the fire in his eyes dying slightly before his gaze returned to Tomothy. Foaming at the mouth, he screamed, "Never!" before stabbing forward with his lance, wounding Mahko enough to end her transformation.

Dubhlainn surged forward, batting away the tip of the lance and slashing wildly at the Baron.

The wound he left behind began weeping blood, causing the Baron to lethargically attempt swinging his lance, missing Dubhlainn. "You bastard!" he slurred, "Why don't you hold still?" Swinging his lance again, the Baron managed to cut Dubhlainn's arm, drawing his eyes to the brand on his hand. "You're a disgusting abomination? I was going to allow you to live if you surrendered, but now I'll just have to ki-..."

The arrow cut his sentence short with a heavy wet squish, snapping the Baron's head back. His free hand shakily moved to his face, feeling the area around his eye, before he finally went limp. 

The corpse of Baron Esrin Cheswicke slid off his horse, the armour clattering loudly as it hit the hard earth...

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A few things before I sign off here, Dubh's "on-screen" kill of this chapter was a critical, hence the crumpling of armour. And for those of you keeping score, there are two men still alive from the Baron's cadre, they will not be returning. Also, fight scenes are apparently harder to write in FE style than I thought they'd be, so I may forego referencing them as scripture and write something more organic feeling. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

S.K.

P.S. Thanks go to ShamrockAce, Coral, Jade, and Lilah for helping me out with some decisions for this chapter.


	7. A Moment's Respite

Tomothy's arms remained in his firing position, his chest heaving with every single breath. As he stood there, eyes transfixed on where the Baron's body had sat mere moment's ago, Mahko and Dubhlainn were already clearing the small battlefield.

Dubhlainn's first act was to check the Baron's body. He knew a good kill when he saw it, but drew his blade across the corpse's neck regardless. As he watched the remaining life force bubble out of the corpse's neck, he turned his head to shout back to Tomothy, "Good shot kid," which he followed up with a muttered, "glad I was able to take you by surprise earlier..." Digging through the Baron's saddlebags he found a few vulneraries, two-hundred gold, and a fire tome which he quickly hid from Mahko. "Not too much over here, some gold and vulneraries, what about you Kitty Cat?"

Mahko stopped searching the corpses and directed raised eyebrows, judgemental eyes and a hidden amused smile in Dubhlainn's direction. "What the hell did you just call me?"

"Kitty Cat. What? No good?" He asked with a broad grin.

"Never. Ever. Again," she answered with a more serious glare, "found nothing on these dead guys." She turned her gaze toward Tomothy, statue still, his bow still raised as if to fire another volley. "Uh, is he okay?" she asked with a slightly worried tone.

Dubhlainn turned back, having retrieved the Baron's horse, as the other two had fled during the confrontation. He appraised Tomothy's frozen form, "That was probably his first official kill," he said in response. To which Mahko gave him a raised eyebrow, obviously bemused by his statement.

He made his way to the frightened boy, explaining deliberately, "So Laguz, I assume, hunt in their predatory forms." Mahko responds with a simple nod. "Which means you probably don't separate kills between food and fight." She nods again. "Well, Beorc, and those of us raised in Beorc society, do separate the two. Taking life for food we don't view as a big deal, but taking the life of another human, especially another Beorc, is different."

Mahko begins to ask a question as Dubhlainn reaches Tomothy, lowering the boy's bow arm. "I know what you're going to say, 'What about killing Laguz?' Well, when your in your animal forms it's easier to forget you're also humans. And only the cruelest of people, like our dear departed Baron over there, could kill one of you in your human form without reacting. Not everyone is made to kill, and some have nightmares for the rest of their lives because of that. The kid's probably still shocked that he could do such a thing without hesitating."

Tomothy's face turned toward Dubhlainn as his bow arm was lowered, his eyes devoid of recognition as tears begin to form. Those same tears began flowing as Dubhlainn drew the boy into a brotherly embrace. "You did a good job kid, it's okay now," he consoled as Tomothy began sobbing uncontrollably.

After several minutes, Tomothy seemed to finally calm some, his sobbing becoming less torrential, his breathing stabilizing some. Dubhlainn pulled away from the boy, holding him by the shoulders and said, "Now, you and Mahko are gonna sit here by the fire and rest. I'm gonna take care of the rest of the cleanup, okay?" He managed to catch Mahko's eye while giving his instructions, to which she nodded in response and began moving toward the fire they had sat around before the interruption, offering a forced smile as Tomothy looked to her for confirmation.

While his two companions sat by the fire Dubhlainn moved the rest of the bodies out of the clearing, hiding them in some brush. "Huh, two of them got away I guess," he mused, "well, if they're unfamiliar with the area they'll probably be dead before nightfall anyway." He looked over the few pieces of loot he was able to scavenge. The Baron's men had about ten gold total among them, a gently used buckler which he strapped on his free arm, and a few handfuls of rations.

Mahko meanwhile, sat with Tomothy who's head was resting on her shoulder, a gesture she was uncomfortable with but relented to nonetheless. She watched as Dubhlainn cleared the rest of the bodies, making sure to kick the bloodied earth around enough to rid the area of most evidence any conflict had occurred. Muttering loudly enough that only Tomothy could hear her, "You know, I guess he isn't so bad. Still Parentless, and can't be trusted, but not as bad as the elders always made them out to be."

Tomothy nodded, adding, "He reminds me of my brother." He sniffled before continuing, his eyes mostly dry of tears now, "he was always brave and kind too."

Mahko offered no response, agreement might come across as a weak spot for the bastard. She still only needed his help returning home, after that they would part ways forever. Still, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to be a little nicer toward him, a thought that was immediately forfeited when she heard: "Hey, Princess! How about you stop cuddling with the kid and help me split up these provisions?" 

Mahko hissed at Dubhlainn, her voice practically oozing anger in retort, "Why don't you do it yourself, you parentless moron!" To which Dubhlainn responded by rubbing the back of his head, smiling, and saying, "Okay," before laying out a blanket to split the rations up on. It took Mahko a few moments to realise he had been teasing her, and she'd responded exactly the way he'd been expecting. 

Silence passed over the clearing as the three companions rested, weary from the day's excitement. They ate a simple meal of dried meat, cheese, and stale bread before the sun set. As they sat around the campfire, Dubhlainn cleared his throat to speak.

"So, Tomothy, in the morning we'll be heading out. Mahko and I are heading toward Gallia, and you should probably get yourself somewhere away from the border with Bengion. Wouldn't want that Duke or whatever finding out we killed his friend." He gave Tomothy a brief glance with that comment, but looked quickly to the horses. "I've saddled the smaller horse for you, packed her with plenty of food too. If you follow the trail there you'll get to the road and..."

He was interrupted by a simple, "No," as Tomothy matched his now bewildered gaze.

The boy's next words visibly took all of his courage to utter. "I'm going with you. And...and you can't stop me," his face drawn in what Dubhlainn assumed was supposed to be brave defiance, he stood. "You'll need all the help you can get. And I'm tired of running," he said, visibly trembling at this point, his eyes full of fear. There was something in the way he stood though, something that told Dubhlainn that this stupid kid would follow them no matter what.

Sighing, Dubhlainn stood. Looking to Mahko he asked, "You okay with this? More bodies means we'll move slower, and be less inconspicuous." She replied with a simple nod, glancing at the trembling boy. Dubhlainn shook his head as he approached Tomothy, an odd smile on his face. He offered him his hand, "Alright, if she's okay with it so am I. Welcome to our little band of refugees I guess."

All of the tension left Tomothy's body in an instant. He crumpled to the ground in a sobbing heap, a bright smile slowly spreading across his face. "Thank Goddess," he exclaimed amidst tearful gasps, "I really thought you would leave me alone. Thank you! Thank you both so much!" The tears running down his face glistened in the firelight.

Dubhlainn turned around, attempting to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks as he wasn't used to receiving such praise, and caught Mahko, smiling? He blinked hard, not believing what he'd seen, and just like that Mahko's attention was directed toward Tomothy, still crying on his knees by the fire. Shaking his head, Dubhlainn turned back around, offering a hand to help the boy up. "Alright," he said, "we'd better get some rest before morning. I'll take the first watch, you two oughta get to bed. There's a bedroll on each of our horses you can use luckily." Scooping up some dirt, he began throwing it onto the fire to extinguish it. Then he sat with his back propped against the nearest stump, facing the trail they and the Baron had used, and laid his sword across his lap, listening for any sign of danger in the darkness.

As Mahko unfurled her bedroll she considered the events that had recently transpired. Not only was she relying on the help of one of the Parentless, but now they'd added a weeping Beorc to their group as well. Faulted as his lineage and emotional state were, she couldn't deny his frightening skill with a bow. The boy at least seemed harmless enough, though she in no way trusted him, she saw no reason to refuse his accompanying them to Gallia. As she lay down, she could hear quiet snoring already emanating from Tomothy's bedroll.

She kept her eyes on Dubhlainn as he leaned against the stump, still not able to trust him. Her ears stood straight as she watched him, ready to pickup the slightest noise. 

"I'm not going to stab you in the middle of the night, I promise." He said, not looking at her. "I agreed to take you to Gallia, and that's what I'll do." This time he turned toward her, a smile on his face, "I'll see you safely to your home, and we'll part ways there, no treachery necessary."

"I still don't trust you," she said, "but I suppose I do need rest after today." She laid her head back and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep for several minutes, using her sensitive ears to continue listening for any Parentless treachery until she felt the last dregs of energy seeping from her.

Just before she drifted off to sleep she heard Dubhlainn start humming a familiar tune, but before she could ask where he'd learnt the song her exhaustion finally caught up with her and the world grew dark.

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Wow, so, the holiday's are awesome amirite? Just kidding, they can get pretty stressful as I'm sure many of you know. Sorry I fell behind schedule again everyone, working two jobs and finishing up the semester's class, not to mention preparations for the holidays themselves kind of absorbed what free time I had to write.

As you might, or might not, remember I promised two character introductions to you at the end of chapter three. A promise I've admittedly broken sadly. So, I'll attempt making up for it now, kind of.

Firstly, you've all seen Mahko in every chapter, but you might be wondering, "how did she come to be in a town so far from her homeland of Gallia?" Well, I'm not giving you that answer. I'm also not going to give you full details on her history. What I will tell you is this, Mahko hails from Gallia (duh), and is a combination of inspiration drawn from Lethe, and my friends Mint and Coral. She was taught to hate all Branded as a child, however, her views on Beorc are less prejudiced. Which I'll tell you comes from her parent's views that Beorc can be trusted, but the Elder's opinion that they cannot. [Spoiler alert: her parent's knew Greil, Elena, and Titania back in the day]

Baron Esrin Cheswicke will no longer be taking part in this story, we've decided his contractual demands were too high for our lower budget production. He was spoiled as a child, getting whatever he wanted from his 'mummy' and 'daddy,' including his father's title of Baron when his parents passed away mysteriously. He claims to have been a friend of Duke Tanas, I guess we'll find out if that was true down the line. Lastly, as you may have pieced together, he kept Laguz as slaves, moreover they were forced to remain in their animal forms, warping them into feral beasts. But, he wanted too much money, so we've decided to let him go officially.

Once again, I hope you all have enjoyed the latest chapter, I look forward to writing the next one!

~S.K.


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